The document provides guidance on how professionals can advance in their careers by adopting attitudes and behaviors exemplified by those recognized as the best in their fields. Key advice includes taking responsibility for one's actions, being open-minded, learning from mistakes, and persevering through challenges. It emphasizes that being the best is a continuous journey rather than a final destination.

1. A GUIDE
TO BEING
THE BEST
By Shon Holyfield

2. I get frequently asked what advice I would
give to a professional that wants to advance
in their career – become the best.
The answer depends on the person asking
the question. The answer is also difficult.
What can I do to help this professional
achieve what they want and hope they don’t
take any advice (that they asked for) as a
personal insult?

3. What do they want out of their career?
How willing are they to try new things
(open minded)? How disciplined are
they to do what is required?
If I give them the “hard truth” of what
it takes – are they going to give up
before they even start?

4. This gives us an opportunity to look at
and study others that are the best in
their field/profession/career. It reminds
us that there are attitudes and actions
already taken by others that are proven
to help professionals advance in their
career – successfully.

5. As I share information about being the
best – use this information for yourself
in a positive way. Please don’t use this
information to criticize yourself or
make less of yourself.
Remember that there is no one there to
protect you from yourself when you
decide to criticize you. Be kind to you.

6. The following is advice – you don’t
have to like it at all. It is presented
here because this is what those that
became the best actually did or
recommended.
It is not a complete list, but a good
start.
Enjoy!

7. Attitudes of Others That
Became the Best:

8. 1. Be brave, even if you
are not. Be willing to
make mistakes.

9. 2. Don’t burn bridges with others
– you rely on the team around you
to be the best as a team – make
the effort to admire and find
something to like about them.

10. 3. Don’t focus on past
mistakes, learn from them
and move on.

11. 4. Remember that you
always have enough time.

12. 5. Spend less time worrying
about who is right and more
time learning what is right.

13. 6. Stop blaming others. Take responsibility
for every area of your life. If something
isn’t the way you want it – what did you do
to make it better? (gossip and complaining to
peers doesn’t accomplish anything other than
civil unrest and hurts the entire team)

14. 7. The importance of being
the best is not what we get
from it, but what we become
because of it.

15. 8. When facing a difficult
situation, act as though it is
impossible to fail.

16. 9. Willing to do things
that others don’t want to.

17. 10. See the gain,
not the pain.

18. 11. Best is an attitude. Take the
good with the bad and keep on
going. It gets hard, you get tired,
and sometimes you feel burnt out –
but you still find a way to keep going.

19. 12. The Best own mistakes and
are inspired by them. They
openly talk about what they have
done wrong and what they
learned from it.

20. 13. The Best know there is
always more to learn – even when
they are called the best by others.

21. 14. The Best know that being the
best is a journey – not a
destination – even when they are
considered the best – they know
that if they stop striving to the
best, they won’t be the best.